Brand new faces, same old places
by ISnortSugar
Summary: set after the 9th book. What happens when one boy is left behind by the Vampaneze, bound and gagged? An angry Vancha, saddened Darren and robotic Harkut don't know what to do. And then there's Mr Tiny to consider.
1. Chapter 1

I ONLY own Eric. Every other character and place is property of Darren Shan.

R&R come on, don't be stingy, you know you want to. winkwink

I was there. I sat watching and listening the chaos that ensued. Bound and gagged by the dreaded Vampaneze, unable to do anything, not even groan or whimper. Bodies fell everywhere. Around me, on me, around the cavern. Fresh, hot salty tears ran rivers down my face and the whites of my eyes were completely bloodshot from trying scream into the heavily tied gag, not that my screams would have gone noticed. As the cases of Vampaneze souls fell around me, their weapons skittered across the floor or lay just beyond arms reach. And then…. Then their lord fought with one of the others. No-one moved, no-one spoke, not even I.

The vampires lost one of their beloved friends that day. And even I cried when the one known as Larten Crepsley perished. I felt the love the other two vampires had for him, and the tears I cried in that moment were not from the pain in the bandages, but the pain in my heart.

The Vampaneze, saddened and mourning their dead lord slowly emptied out of the cavern. Their hopes are low as their eyes. No-one bothered about me. I was unimportant now. My purpose was only valid if the Vampaneze had won, which they hadn't. I tried to loosen the bonds that Morgan James had tied so thoroughly, but my attempt was futile and I sat back in silence, dreading the moment I would be left alone in the cavern to rot.

I stayed in my tiring position while Gannen Harst and Steve Leopard came down and while Darren lay unconscious on the ground. Why did the other vampire not help him? Or the little person they had with them? I wanted to ask, but what if they were just as bad as the Vampaneze? Then I'd be screwed either way.

Three hours passed and still I didn't make a noise. The little person - who came to be called Harkut- and the older vampire - Vancha- sat talking about what they were to do now. Vancha wanted to hunt down Mr Tiny - I knew that name all too well, along with its owner- and murder him slowly. Harkut said if Darren wanted to join him, that he too would hunt the Earth for the Yellow coated meddler. They still hadn't been alerted by my scent. As Darren groggily woke up, and told them the news of what Steve had said to him, I started crying again, silently at first. Vancha's wounded look straightened up and shot over to my dark corner, picking me out amongst the walls instantly. His looked turned to surprise, then confusion, then hatred and he grabbed Darren's knife before jumping up and walking purposefully over to me, murder in his eyes. Darren and Harkut just looked at him.

I let my head drop as Vancha's footsteps resounded off the walls. If he killed me now, all the better. Steve had obviously forgotten about me, and the pain I had to endure, and the long lectures about how much he hated Darren almost drove me to the point of trying to force myself into a coma.

Vancha stopped close to me and stooped low, his face inches from mine. Even in my crying I still knew he stank and tried to bury my head deeper into my knees. The vampire studied me for a few moments before he cut through the bonds around my mouth and put his hand to my mouth.

"If I were you, I wouldn't scream, yell or even whimper. Clear?" His voice was deathly low and serious. I stopped the noise of my crying and nodded, but the tears kept flowing on their own accord.

"Who are you?" Vancha started his questioning with the very first question anyone asked when meeting someone.

"E-E-Eric Fe-Fe-Felashly." I stuttered, still without looking up.

I felt the cold tip of the knife touch my chin and push it up so I was eye to eye with the green haired vampire. My sad blue eyes connected with his hate filled brown ones.

"What are you doing here?" He growled.

I thought it was one of the stupidest questions ever, but at a time like this, figured it better not to be a smartarse. "Puh-puh-Part of something Mr Tuh-tuh-Tiny said to St-st-st-st-Steve." I managed to stutter out softly. Vancha's eyes narrowed at the mention of Mr Tiny and Steve.

"What did the devil say to the eel?"

"I don't knu-knu-know. I've been t-t-tied up here for w-w-weeks."

Darren stood up with Harkut and they both walked up behind Vancha.

"Why have they tied you up?" Darren asked softly.

"Something about the war. That's all I know." I was thankful my stuttering had decided to leave, but when Vancha growled I had a feeling it might return.

"Are you human?" Vancha growled throatily.

"I… I think so." I said.

Vancha looked to Darren who stared at me. "Show us your…. Vancha cut his hand bonds."

"You think we should trust him? He smells distinctly like one of them." Vancha turned to the side at spat when said that last word. It didn't take a genius to figure out how much he despised them.

"No. Just keep the knife ready."

Vancha turned back to me and pointed the knife at my face. "One wrong move… that's all I need." And he reached behind me and cut the bonds to my hands. I felt so relieve I brought my arms into my chest and rubbed my blood caked wrists tenderly. Darren reached down and grabbed both my hands by the wrists, upsetting old wounds and causing me to bite my lip in pain to stop myself from yelping.

Darren looked over my fingertips and shook his head. He was about to let go when he spotted a scar on the ball of my right hand. He pointed to it and looked at me. Vancha looked over his shoulder and growled. "What is this?" Darren asked.

"One of the Vampaneze cut it open." I replied.

"That's it?" He prodded.

"He cut his own and pressed them together for a few seconds."

Vancha almost roared and I found the knife cutting into my throat as he growled violently, I could tell he would have cut my throat right open had Darren not grabbed his hand.

"Vancha! He's not one of them yet."

"He's been blooded. Of not then at least marked. We have to kill him now."

"No!" Darren grabbed Vancha and pulled him roughly away from me, leading him a few meters away and talking hurriedly, every now and then Vancha would look over and me and point the knife at me and shake his head while Darren was trying to explain something on his palm. Harkut stood watching me, freakily unblinking. I took the few precious moments I had to noticed his dark blue robes and large, bright green eyes., just like Mr Tiny's other ones.

"Are … are they going to kill me?" I asked him.

"Maybe." Was the reply.

I sighed with resignation. Back to square one. At least the Little Person told me the truth. Vancha started yelling and quickly quietened as I looked up and caught his eye. My tears had stopped but I could still feel they'd start up if the right button was pressed.

Now, if you review I'll put up some more, and who doesn't want to know what Vancha is threatening to do with that knife?


	2. The escape

Chapter 2 - The escape

Vancha and Darren kept arguing for at least another ten minutes before Vancha threw his hands up in the air and turned away, arms now folded. Darren's shoulders dropped and he sighed. He stood like that for a minute, then turned slowly to face me. He made his way back over as if every step was drawing great amounts of energy out of him. When he got to me he bent over and kept his head lowered for another minute before looking up at me. His physical form looked no more than 17, but his face made him look as if he'd been alive a lifetime. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked him.

Darren managed a small smile before he looked back to Vancha and it dropped.

"No. Vancha was all for it, he doesn't trust the Vampaneze at all. But we've decided on something I think you'll find much worse." He said somberly.

"You're not going to give me back to the Vampaneze are you?" I felt the tears started to well up again, pleading to every god I could think of not to let me go back to them.

"Not at the moment. Seems you're important to them, and if we meet up again, we'll need to have something they want."

I shivered at the thought of being back with Steve and his three-hour lectures on how stupid vampires were. "I understand." I said, dismayed at my fate. Vancha walked back over and crouched beside Darren. The knife pointed at my throat. "And you'll be walking with me. That way I can cut your throat if you decide to run," He growled. "You may not be a full Vampaneze, or even half a one. But you're still part of them."

"If you have to give me to them, all I ask is that you kill me as soon as you can," I bent forward and tried to undo the knots at my feet. "I'd rather face death than Steve's rants." Vancha growled again, clearly wishing he could kill me now.

"Do you require blood?" Darren asked. I gave up on trying to undo Morgan's knots and sighed.

"No. I also don't like meat. Thanks to them."

Darren frowned at this. "But they put blood into you." I looked up at Darren and frowned.

"Technically they didn't. I said the Vampaneze cut our palms and put them together for a second. No more no less."

"But your blood still connected."

"For a second. I pulled back at the same time the idiot was ripped away from me and told to go somewhere else. There's probably only 3 drops of his blood in me, if that." I looked from Darren to Vancha. Vancha looked almost relieved, Darren looked confused.

"Don't dwell on it Darren. At least we can now classify him as human. Almost." Vancha said, softly gripping Darren's shoulder. He looked back at me, though I could tell he was still unsure about me and slashed at the knots connecting my ankles. The blood-soaked rags hung loosely off my ankles and Vancha finished cutting them free, then stood and walked over to Harkut, I couldn't tell what he was doing, and didn't really care. I was free! I was finally free! Ten weeks of disgusting, revolting, blood-stenched Vampaneze and I was finally free! For now at least. Darren stood up and gave me enough space to stand up myself.

The aches and pains of being in the same position night and day came like a jolt but the mild pain was nothing to me now. I could stretch! And I did so at leisure, working out my stiff joints by rolling my shoulders and touching my toes. It was when I started jumping up and down that my blood flecked, knee ripped, dirty jeans fell down past my hips that I realized how much weight I'd lost in the last ten weeks. Sheepishly I pulled my jeans back up and adjusted my belt so they wouldn't fall down again. Vancha had finished talking with the Little Person and looked at me like I was a fool. I vowed there not to get on his bad side. I attempted a friendly smile that came out more scared than anything. He crinkled his nose and shook his head before he came over and grabbed my shirt, pushing me ahead of him towards the tunnel. I went willingly, I didn't want to stay in here any longer. "Come on Darren. We can suspend the search for Steve until after we've been to Vampire Mountain." Harkut had gone ahead of us and I couldn't see him in the darkened tunnel leading to the sewers.

As the three of us reached the door to the large cavern outside, I moved to the side and started retching like my life depended on it. I guess it was due to a sudden flush of emotions and the stench of the sewers. Vancha and Darren stood there until I'd finished and I straightened up. "Sorry." I whispered. The corners of Darren's mouth lifted into a small smile and we made our way through the sewers, this time I was in the middle and Darren was in front of me. I dry retched a few times as we passed bloated rats or some unidentifiable thing festering in the water. Vancha smiled at one stage when the last of the contents of my stomach arose and joined the filth already swarming the sewers, this caused me to dry retch again as it washed away into adjoining tunnels.

Soon enough we reached a ladder that lead to a sewer cap and Darren stepped up to see where we were, Vancha held me loosely by the neck as if I'd run at the first site of real freedom. I looked up at him momentarily and then back at Darren as he pushed the cap up; he looked around for a moment before pushing the lid to one side. "It's just near daybreak. If we hurry we can make it to the building before the sun rises."

"I'm not afraid of the sun." Vancha said.

Darren climbed the rest of the ladder and stood up on the pavement while Vancha pushed me towards the ladder and I started to climb, a lot faster than what I thought I would since he grabbed my foot to slow me down. When we were all on the cement above the sewers I breathed in deeply, allowing my lungs to fill with what I thought at that moment to be the best tasting air in the entire world. Vancha kicked the cap back over the hole and grabbed my shirt, pulling me out of my glorious breathing then dragged me out of the alleyway we'd come into and onto the street.

Darren had been right, the sky was still dark, but it was light enough that anyone could tell that daybreak was soon to come.

The three of us walked down four streets before Darren ran forward up to three other people at the end of the street. Straining my eyes (I had been underground for ten weeks remember and my eye sight wasn't all that good) I could tell one of them was Harkut. Darren and one of the – I strained harder- girls, hugged as if they hadn't seen each other in fifty years and the other female looked towards Vancha and I, but didn't make a move.

As we got closer I could hear the girl Darren hugging crying and saw the other one was a police officer. Vancha smiled properly for the first time since we'd met when he walked up to the officer. I stayed silent.

"Is this the kid?" The officer asked Vancha, who nodded and verified it. The officer was about my height and she looked me dead in the eye. I was so happy to finally see another human I wanted to hug her and never let go, but by the way Vancha was looking at me, he might have killed me then and there if I had.

"I'm Alice Burgess. I take it you're Eric." She had a stern voice, but at the same time it was also soft. I didn't care what Vancha would do to me; I reached out and hugged her. Alice was taken aback by the sudden sign of affection and Vancha yanked my back where I sank to my knees, sobbing silently to myself, my happiness finally catching up to me fully.

"Well then," Alice coughed. "I guess we'd better get indoors before the sun comes up. Then we can sort out him." She pointed to me.

"Come on then." Vancha lifted me up around the waist and held onto me as if I was nothing more than a doll. I didn't care; I was too busy being overcome by happiness and tears to give a damn. He could have started eating my toes and I wouldn't have noticed.

"Let's go then." He said, and turned towards one of the streets. Alice grabbed him and turned him around.

"My place is closer. And those Vampaneze know where you were staying don't they?" She reasoned.

"Darren?"

"I just want to get inside." The girl in his arms was crying as much as I was.

"Alright then Officer Burgess, lead the way." Vancha smiled.


	3. Clean this, wash that

Chapter 3 - Clean this, wash that

We got to Alice's house just before the sun came up. Debbie and Darren went into Alice's living room with Harkut and the rest of us went into the kitchen. Alice left for a moment to get a first aid kit and Vancha put me in a chair, then went over and leant against one of the benches in the kitchen and watched me.

Alice came back and wet one of the cloths she had in her hand, after setting the first aid kid on the table. Looking for something to hold onto I grabbed it and held it close, smelling in the scent of sterility and treasuring it like it was gold. Alice came back and wrestled it out of my grip.

"Hysterical isn't he?" She commented as she grabbed my left arm and started to clean the caked blood away.

"You're probably the first human he's seen in 10 weeks." Vancha replied, Alice threw the other cloth at him and he wet it before coming over and grabbing my other wrist, I let my head dropp with a thud onto the table as I'd been resting it on the arm and continued sobbing like a baby while they addressed my wounds and talked.

"Ten weeks? What the hell where they doing with him that long?" Alice's expression turned to hatred and she halted her cleaning for a moment before grabbing a small amount of my dirty blonde hair and lifting my head up to get a better look at my face, tears and all, then she let it drop again and resumed the cleaning.

"This is one of the kids that disappeared. There were three altogether, but the other two we found dead." The contempt dripping from her words was clear even to me. She dropped the bloodied cloth on the table and opened the first aid kit, pulling out a leaf of alcohol wipes and handing some to Vancha, who looked at them curiously.

"It's for his wrists. It'll help keep infection out." She ripped open the packet and pulled out the damp brown piece of whatever it was they dipped the concoction in and opened it up before grabbing my arm again and starting to wipe my wrists with it.

I yelped loudly as the alcohol seeped into my wrist and made it sting. She didn't release her grip even as I tried to pull back and continued, it stopped hurting after a moment when she'd completely covered the wound in alcohol, using up three wipes. Vancha did the same to my other wrist. My tears finally walled up and I grabbed the cloth she'd used on my wrist and tried to clean my ankles.

"Wait. I'll wash it." She picked up both cloths and went over to the sink. Her exhaustion finally set in and she let her shoulders drop forward as she put the cloths in the sink and sighed. Vancha dropped my wrist and walked over to her.

"You need to sleep. I'll help him finish cleaning his ankles. Can we get him into a shower? And his clothes cleaned? He smells worse than I do." Alice laughed.

"There's a bathroom down the hall, there are towels in there. When he's undressed, the room next to it is the laundry, put the clothes in, add half a lid of det-"

"I'll do it." I piped up, my first words since the tunnel. Alice and Vancha turned back to face me.

"What?" Alice asked. I looked up at her, meeting her soft light blue eyes.

"I'll do it. I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't think he'll know how to use a washing machine." I looked back down.

"He's right." Vancha said turning back to Alice.

"Ok," She paused, contemplating on continuing her sentence. "You can use the bandages to wrap up your wrists and ankles when you're done." They both smiled and Alice left, retiring to her bed to get some well-deserved sleep (after she'd had her own shower of course). Vancha grabbed the now clean cloths and came over, handing one to me. I pulled one of the other chairs over, put my feet on the edge and started to clean one ankle while Vancha did the other one. We continued in silence. When they were clean and alcohol wiped I stood up and started walking to where Alice had said the shower was. Vancha followed me and I stopped at the door and looked up at him. "Are you going to watch me shower as well?" I asked.

"I don't want you running away." He replied.

"Do I look like I'm in the shape to?" I said seriously, but dropped the subject after that and walked in. Vancha had brought a chair along from the kitchen and placed it near the sink before sitting down. I eyed him cagily as he started to observe his robe of purple furs and I stripped before stepping into the shower and turned on the water.

I sighed happily as the water rushed over my bruised, bloodied and tired body, leaning against one of the walls and watching as the red rivulets rushed down the drain and into the sewers we'd just been in. There was a blue cloth hanging on a rack and a bar of soap on it's own private one. I grabbed both and started scrubbing at the dirt and severely caked blood. I scrubbed so hard that my skin turned a bright red color. Finished with my body I picked up a bottle of shampoo and conditioner and cleaned the grime from my hair as well. My hair went back to its original mousy blonde color and I turned off the tap, feeling completely clean –physically- and fresh. Vancha looked up as I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. I looked over at him and finally noticed just how much he smelt as well. "Are you going to have one as well?" I asked. He seemed to think it over before he stood up and pushed me towards the seat. "Don't move from there." I sat down and examined my wrists as he went through the same procedure I had, though with more speed and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his own waist. His green hair was finally visible after all the blood and dirt had been washed out and he smelt fresh. Too bad our clothes didn't. I picked both sets up and held them away from my body, trying not to get any more filth on me. Vancha followed after as I walked into the laundry and he opened the lid when I asked. I dumped the clothes in and spread them evenly before grabbing the bottle of cleaning detergent. Alice hadn't said how much to use so I looked from the clothes to Vancha. I ignored the lid and poured in maybe two or three caps. I closed the lid and pressed the power button, selected the highest wash cycle – heavy duty, it didn't have extremely heavily soiled- and pressed the start button. While our clothes were washing we went back into the kitchen – Vancha grabbing the chair out of the bathroom- and alcoholed my wrists and ankles again before bandaging them up and taping them in place.


	4. I love the sun

Chapter 4 - I love the sun

Vancha and I waited half the designated time in the kitchen, silently thinking to ourselves. Harkut came in at one stage, took one look at Vancha and myself in towels, laughed and ran out. He returned a few minutes later with Darren who started laughing joyously. They took up the two remaining seats and turned to Vancha, Darren still laughing.

"Did he drag you in with him Vancha?"

"Shut up Darren." Vancha said, but he was smiling as well, not as big as Darren, but it was still a smile. I decided to stay silent.

"Well I've never seen you _willingly_ have a shower before. Actually, I've never seen you have a shower period. But from what I've heard…" He let his sentence hang as he laughed. "You finally smell clean!"

Vancha looked up at Darren and smirked before reaching across and grabbing his shirt. The older Prince lifted the younger out of his chair and pushed towards the bathroom, I followed eager to see what came out of this and Harkut came up behind me. I assumed the other girl was sleeping. In the bathroom, Vancha told me to turn on the taps, which I did instantly, my own smile forming as Vancha pushed Darren inside and shut the door before he could get out. Darren made fake pleading noises and I gave a small laugh. Vancha turned back and smiled, the first sign of nicety he'd shown toward me. Darren had proceeded to strip in the shower; a funny thing to watch, and Vancha let go of the door as Darren cleaned himself. The washing machine beeped in the other room and Vancha and I left to see how our clothes had fared in getting clean. I opened the lid and picked out one of the items, looking at it intently. It was Vanchas. There was still a little bit of blood on it, so I picked out my shirt; it had bloodstains on it as well. I put the shirt back in and grabbed the bottle again.

"Think we should get Darren's clothes?" I asked.

"Don't move." Vancha's strict tone was back and I nodded as he left, deciding how much I was going to use in this load. Vancha returned a few seconds later and dumped Darren's and Harkuts clothes in the machine as well. I shrugged and forgot about the cap again, pouring in roughly 3 lids of detergent and started the cycle again. We left the machine to do it's job and sat down against the wall opposite the room, Darren and Harkut joined us after Harkut had a brief shower, both were wrapped around the waist with towels. I looked at the four different colors and started laughing. Darren, Vancha and Harkut looked at me as if I'd finally gone mad. "Look… what colors… you've picked." I managed to get out in between my laughing. Vancha's was the funniest; he'd picked out a hot pink towel. Darren had a baby blue one and Harkut an eyesore yellow. I had a lime green one. They caught my joke and started laughing as well. It stopped after a few minutes and the two vampires and Little Person started talking while I sat back and thought about what had happened. Two tears slid silently from my eyes as I thought about my family and what they must have gone through. But I couldn't go back. Not now. I was the bribe for the Vampaneze. I stood up and walked into the Laundry, sat back down in front of the washing machine and sighed, pulling my feet up to my chest, the position I'd grown accustomed to. Vancha kept his eye on me while I settled down and then went back to talking with Darren. I just didn't want to be sitting next to them. They'd saved me from the Vampaneze, and now were holding onto me as a token for future bargaining.

I stayed that way for the rest of the hour and jumped to my feet as the machine beeped. I looked at four pieces of clothing, making sure they were clean and then shoved a load into the dryer before starting it and sitting back down. There was still another load to go.

Vancha, Darren and Harkut didn't even move as I put in the first load, they continued talking about whatever it was they were talking about and left me to the devices. I fell asleep sitting like that and only awoke when the Dryer stopped rumbling. I checked that all the clothes in there were dry and handed them out to their owners, then put the second load on. I sat back down and again fell asleep, only to awake when the machine stopped rumbling. I looked out at the other three before I stood up and noticed the Darren had fallen asleep and had managed to slip sideways with his head resting on Vancha's shoulder. Vancha had his eyes closed and was breathing evenly; Harkut appeared to be the only one still awake.

I stood up quietly as not to disturb them and pulled out the warm, dry clothes. I got changed in the laundry and walked into the hall, placing the clothes on their owner's laps and looking around. I decided to explore the house and started walking away from the kitchen. The hall split two ways at the end and at one end I saw a door with the sun shining through the glass panes. I looked back at the sleeping Princes and Little Person and walked to the door. I didn't want to run, just see the sky. I opened the door as quietly as I could and stood in the doorway after I'd opened it.

The sky was clear blue and birds chirped as they flew around the trees and danced with the wind. I smiled and sat down on the single step just outside the door. Surprisingly I didn't feel sad, just relieved. I laid back on the concrete step that lead into the small back yard and let the sun hit my face and body, warming me up far better than the clothes ever would. I smiled and in that position, I feel asleep.


	5. Cringing Eric, Angry Vancha

Chapter 5 - Cringing Eric, Angry Vancha

I stayed asleep for the rest of the day and a few hours into nightfall as all the events of the last ten weeks finally caught up with me. Everyone else also stayed asleep most of the day. But as luck would have it, I woke up last, and only because I was hauled to my feet by an aggressive looking Vancha who took me back inside. I felt my eyes slipping closed again and yawned as he dragged me into the kitchen. Darren, Harkut and Debbie occupied three chairs and Alice was busy cooking something. I yawned again and Vancha dropped me into the remaining chair.

"WHAT the hell do you think you were doing outside?" He said aggressively.

"I wanted to see the sky." I replied innocently.

"At night?" He asked, obviously not believing it.

"No. I went out in the morning. I obviously fell asleep." I retorted, suddenly angry that I was being chastised for wanting to see the sun again.

"Why did you tell anyone?"

"I hadn't seen the sun in ten bloody weeks! Besides, _he _was awake!" I said defensively, pointing at Harkut.

"I was asleep." He said defending himself.

"What?" I asked confused. "Your eyes were open."

"Always open. I have no lids."

I stared at him curiously for a moment. "Really? That's pretty-"

"WHY DID YOU NOT WAKE ONE OF US UP?!" Vancha practically roared.

I looked back to him and lowered my eyes. "I wanted to have a few moments to myself. With_out_ your ever mistrusting eagle eyes drilling holes into my back." I said aggressively.

"Stop fighting in my kitchen!" Alice snapped, turning around and glaring at me and Vancha, a fork taking turns to point from Vancha to myself. The Prince and I glared at each other for a few seconds and then at the same time averted our eyes.

"Good. Now who wants something to eat?" She said cheerily. Everyone put their hands up except Vancha and me. I wanted to sleep, Vancha wanted to kill me. We still found ourselves with a plate of food in front of us. It was some kind of meaty stew and I pushed it around the bowl with disinterest, at one time picking up a spoonful only to tilt it and let the contents spill back into the bowl. Vancha on the other hand finished his in record time. Probably so he could glare at me some more and make mental notes on different ways to kill me. After a few minutes of fidgeting, I picked up the spoon and lowered my mouth to meet it, sniffing in the smell. Even though I didn't like meat thanks to the Vampaneze, it made my mouth water and I put the warm food in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. I avoided the meat and went mainly for the potato, carrot and peas floating around in the gravy.

"I thought you didn't like meat." Vancha said after a while. I had a spoon halfway to my mouth and looked over at him, Darren looked over at me.

"I don't." I replied shortly.

"Then what's that on your spoon?" Vancha asked, arms crossed.

I looked down at the spoon and noticed a big chunk of meat sitting right on the edge of my spoon. I thought about one of the pieces the Vampaneze had given me. Bright red and dripping with blood, still warm. Some of what I'd just eaten came back up in a rush and I dropped the spoon back in the bowl with a clatter and ran to the sink, pushing Vancha roughly out of the way, I wouldn't have made it to the toilet. Alice and Debbie looked at their bowls with a look that said they might be full.

"Couldn't you have at least waited until he'd finished Vancha?" Alice asked.

"Yes. But it's more fun watching him throw up." I punched sideways at him and he swatted my hand away laughing. I threw up only once more after turning on the tap and all of the contents washed down the sink. I almost threw up again after thinking about the sewers and what we had possibly been walking through.

"You're an arsehole." I said, returning to my seat and picking up the spoon, this time careful not to pick up any meat along the way.

"At least I don't throw up at the sight of meat." He retorted.

I looked at him defiantly and saw Alice tense up out of the corner of my eye, she was expecting a fight. Apparently, so was Vancha and he straightened up and let his arms sit neatly against his sides. He was almost pleading me to try and fight him. I turned back to my bowl and took a piece of meat out, determined to shut him up. He was smirking. I brought the spoon up to my mouth and shoved the meat in.

"Now you have to swallow it."

I chewed it slowly before letting it slide down my throat.

"Not bad is it." He mocked. I glared at him viciously, if only looks could kill.

He smirked and walked out of the kitchen as I finished the rest of the bowl, meat and all. I offered to wash up and the rest of them walked into the living room. Vancha came back in shortly and sat down on a chair, watching me intently. Nothing was said for a few minutes, and then he stood up and came over to dry the dishes I'd washed.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I asked without looking at him. He looked down at me for a few seconds and then picked up another bowl, drying it more slowly than he had the rest.

"You have their blood in you. I don't care how many drops or how many litres." He said bluntly.

I kept quiet for a few seconds. "Do I have to turn into one of them now?"

Vancha stopped drying and looked at me. "What do you mean?"

I stopped washing but left my hands in the sink. "Steve said that when someone was blooded they had to be blooded fully by the same type. Since I have that little amount in me…." I looked up at him. "Does that mean I have to be one of them?"

"No." I thanked every god I could think of and turned back to the dishes, finishing the last one and handing it to Vancha.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." He gave a small smirk and dried the dish.

"Seriously. Can you give me some space? I mean, I know you don't trust me and all, but where can I go? My parents probably think I'm dead. If I turn up they'll either greet me enthusiastically or admit themselves to a mental ward."

Vancha thought this over for a moment. "What if you just want to run?"

"You'll find me anyway. I'll have a good maybe 12 hour head start, but you're faster than a human.

You'd find me easily. And Darren can always come out during the day. So either way, night or day, I'm still screwed."

"True ... But no. I don't trust you."

I gave a short resignating sigh and looked at the dishes he'd washed. "I didn't peg you as the type who could dry." I smirked and ducked as he swiped a hand towards my head. Avoiding another swipe I ran into the living room and tripped on the carpet, smacking my head against the couch on my way down. Vancha walked in and looked at me oddly. Alice threw a cushion at me and I grabbed it before it hit me, putting it under my head and laying down where I was. As I was still tired, I fell asleep quickly and stayed that way until the next night.


End file.
